Chapter 923: The Awakened Darkness
Chapter 923: The Awakened Darkness
Several months ago, in Egypt.
Beneath the ancient wilderness, forgotten by time, lay a history sealed for a millennium.
Then, in the depths of eternal darkness, a crack suddenly appeared.
"Wait, I think I've found something."
A voice spoke from outside the crack.
"Over here! This way! It's right beneath us!"
The sound of tools digging echoed, and the crack widened. A beam of modern technology's light pierced through the millennium of silence, lifting the veil of darkness. In this place where sunlight never reached, the air was filled with a damp, ancient scent.
A team of archaeological explorers peered in, their headlamps cutting through the darkness like golden swords.
Excitement filled their faces, as if they were making history.
"The legend of the local village is true; there's something down here."
"Be careful, we've heard that whatever is here is dangerous."
"Don't worry, even if it's dangerous, it's been thousands of years, maybe even tens of thousands," someone joked, "Time will take care of everything."
The team cautiously made their way through the intricate tunnels and chambers, their breaths and heartbeats echoing in the confined space, sounding especially clear.
And when they reached the deepest part of this underground world, what awaited them was a stone slab.
The slab, marked by the passage of time, was covered in mottled moss and dirt, ancient and terrifying. Carved on it was the image of some kind of demon, a minimalist style, almost like a sketch, yet for some reason, this crude drawing was so lifelike that it sent shivers down their spines.
All the team members took only a glance at the slab before turning away, unable to bear looking at it any longer.
"Hey, look over here."
Someone pointed to the side wall, and everyone gathered around. On the wall were ancient inscriptions.
"Eddie, you're the expert." Someone looked at their teammate, "Can you decipher what this means?"
"I'm not sure, but I can try."
Eddie, a man with glasses, stepped forward and shone his light on the text, squinting to examine it closely.
"I think this is probably the name of the stone slab. It seems to be called..."
Eddie adjusted his glasses.
"...Zuoke."
In that instant, all the lights in the darkness went out.
As if the name had offended something, awakening a being that had slumbered for thousands of years.
And in the last moment before the light went out, the minimalist demon on the stone slab seemed to... open its eyes.
Several months later, in the present.
You Xuan had to admit that he had overlooked something.
The Duel Academy was like his backyard, and most of the time, he was well-informed about everything that happened in every corner of this island. But Ubell had helped him realize that there were still blind spots in his control.
On this very island, in his backyard, beneath the foot of a volcano, there was a temporary base, like a hunter's observation post.
Boom!
A Magic Blast shattered the silence and blasted the door. You Xuan walked through the flying dust and smoke, taking in the surroundings.
A bizarre base.
That was his first impression.
The walls were covered in incomprehensible writings, resembling ancient hieroglyphics. Interspersed were crude murals, abstract in style. But upon closer inspection, they seemed to depict a sacrificial scene, with dark clouds gathering above an altar, and a giant demon appearing, large enough to block out the sun.
"I recognize that name."
The Merc's eyes suddenly fixed on the hieroglyphics engraved on the wall.
You Xuan glanced at him, "I didn't know you were so well-read. What does it say here?"
"The ruler of darkness, the end of all things. It's Zorc," The Merc said.
You Xuan couldn't help but furrow his brows.
Zorc, the Great Evil God? The one who had a love-hate relationship with Atem for three thousand years? If it's him, then he's indeed a top-tier opponent. But as far as he knew, Zorc was personally destroyed by the God of Light, and should have been completely obliterated.
How could he possibly come back from that?
So, the so-called Evil God of the Descending Religion is Zorc?
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the shadows of the room.
"It's just an empty shell."
You Xuan turned around and saw a man standing at the doorway, his expression gloomy.
He walked in as if no one else was there, approaching You Xuan and also looking up at the mural on the wall.
"The ultimate demon, once even the gods were trampled underfoot, possessing the unparalleled power to drag the entire world into eternal darkness. But what good did it do?
It lost, completely ceasing to exist. All that remains is a pitiful shell, once the vessel of a great evil god, but now it's just an empty vessel."
You Xuan sized him up for a moment. This man appeared ordinary, dressed casually, wearing sunglasses, and with messy blonde hair. He gazed up at the writings and murals, seemingly lost in thought.
"So, who are you?" You Xuan asked.
"Me? You can call me Eddie."
Eddie didn't even turn to look at him, simply walking past him. He picked up the Duel Disk on the table and put it on his hand.
"But who I am doesn't matter. What's important is that I need the spirit in your possession."
You Xuan: "So, you're from the Descending Religion?"
"I guess you could say that," Eddie replied.
The Merc: "Be careful, I sense something off about this guy."
"I know."
But with the opponent initiating a duel, there's no choice but to fight first and ask questions later.
"Duel!" x2
[You Xuan, LP: 4000]
[Eddie, LP: 4000]
"I'll go first, draw card."
You Xuan randomly got the first turn, and he didn't hesitate to take the initiative.
"Activate Spell Card, 'Angel's Charity.' Draw three cards from the Deck, then discard two cards from your hand."
You Xuan drew cards and then discarded from his hand.
"Set one monster in face-down Defense Position in the Main Monster Zone. Then, set another card in the Spell & Trap Zone, and my turn is over."
"My turn, draw card."
Eddie showed no expression, glancing at the monster he drew and then playing it directly.
"Normal Summon 'Thousand-Hand God.'"
Although it was of the Angel type, the appearance of Thousand-Hand God was far from angelic. It had a horrifying face, angry eyes, and a body covered in countless arms, even if it wasn't a thousand. The 3D projection was something that would give children nightmares.
[Thousand-Hand God, ATK: 1400]
"The effect of Thousand-Hand God," Eddie said, "When this card is successfully summoned, add one Ritual Monster or one Ritual Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.
I'll add this Ritual Spell Card from my Deck..."
He searched his Deck, revealing and adding a Spell Card to his hand.
"Add 'Advanced Ritual Art' to my hand."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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